Al-Kahf 18:94
The Cave · Juz 16 · Page 303
قَالُواْ يَٰذَا ٱلۡقَرۡنَيۡنِ إِنَّ يَأۡجُوجَ وَمَأۡجُوجَ مُفۡسِدُونَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَهَلۡ نَجۡعَلُ لَكَ خَرۡجًا عَلَىٰٓ أَن تَجۡعَلَ بَيۡنَنَا وَبَيۡنَهُمۡ سَدّٗا ٩٤
They said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, indeed Gog and Magog1 are [great] corrupters in the land. So may we assign for you an expenditure that you might make between us and them a barrier?"
1 translator’s note
- Savage tribes who had ravaged large parts of central Asia, committing every kind of atrocity. ↩
Tafsir · in Arabic
Abu as-Su'ud
Detailed
Change
Commentary on 18:94
﴿قالُوا﴾ أيْ: بِواسِطَةِ مُتَرْجِمِهِمْ، أوْ بِالذّاتِ عَلى أنْ يَكُونَ فَهْمُ (p-245)ذِي القَرْنَيْنِ كَلامَهُمْ، وإفْهامُ كَلامِهِ إيّاهم مِن جُمْلَةِ ما آتاهُ اللَّهُ تَعالى مِنَ الأسْبابِ.
﴿يا ذا القَرْنَيْنِ إنَّ يَأْجُوجَ ومَأْجُوجَ﴾ قَدْ ذَكَرْنا أنَّهُما مِن أوْلادِ يافِثَ بْنِ نُوحٍ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ، وقِيلَ: يَأْجُوجُ مِنَ التُّرْكِ ومَأْجُوجُ مِنَ الجِيلِ. واخْتُلِفَ في صِفاتِهِمْ. فَقِيلَ: في غايَةِ صِغَرِ الجُثَّةِ، وقِصَرِ القامَةِ لا يَزِيدُ قَدُّهم عَلى شِبْرٍ واحِدٍ. وقِيلَ: في نِهايَةِ عِظَمِ الجِسْمِ، وطُولِ القامَةِ تَبْلُغُ قُدُودُهم نَحْوَ مِائَةٍ وعِشْرِينَ ذِراعًا، وفِيهِمْ مِن عَرْضُهُ كَذَلِكَ. وقِيلَ: لَهم مَخالِبُ، وأضْراسٌ كالسِّباعِ، وهُما اسْمانِ أعْجَمِيّانِ بِدَلِيلِ مَنعِ الصَّرْفِ. وقِيلَ: عَرَبِيّانِ مِن أجَّ الظَّلِيمُ إذا أسْرَعَ، وأصْلُهُما الهَمْزَةُ كَما قَرَأ عاصِمٌ. وقَدْ قُرِئَ: بِغَيْرِ هَمْزَةٍ، ومُنِعَ صَرْفُهُما لِلتَّعْرِيفِ والتَّأْنِيثِ.
﴿مُفْسِدُونَ في الأرْض﴾ أيْ: في أرْضِنا بِالقَتْلِ، والتَّخْرِيبِ، وإتْلافِ الزُّرُوعِ. قِيلَ: كانُوا يَخْرُجُونَ أيّامَ الرَّبِيعِ فَلا يَتْرُكُونَ أخْضَرَ إلّا أكَلُوهُ، ولا يابِسًا إلّا احْتَمَلُوهُ، وقِيلَ: كانُوا يَأْكُلُونَ النّاسَ أيْضًا.
﴿فَهَلْ نَجْعَلُ لَكَ خَرْجًا﴾ أيْ: جُعْلًا مِن أمْوالِنا. و "الفاءُ" لِتَفْرِيعِ العَرْضِ عَلى إفْسادِهِمْ في الأرْضِ. وقُرِئَ: (خَراجًا) وكِلاهُما واحِدٌ كالنَّوْلِ والنَّوالِ. وقِيلَ: الخَراجُ ما عَلى الأرْضِ، والذِّمَّةِ، والخَرْجُ المَصْدَرُ. وقِيلَ: الخَرْجُ ما كانَ عَلى كُلِّ رَأْسٍ، والخَراجُ ما كانَ عَلى البَلَدِ. وقِيلَ: الخَرْجُ ما تَبَرَّعْتَ بِهِ، والخَراجُ ما لَزِمَكَ أداؤُهُ.
﴿عَلى أنْ تَجْعَلَ بَيْنَنا وبَيْنَهم سَدًّا﴾ وقُرِئَ: بِالضَّمِّ.
Page 303
18:84
إِنَّا مَكَّنَّا لَهُۥ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَءَاتَيۡنَٰهُ مِن كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ سَبَبٗا ٨٤
Indeed, We established him upon the earth, and We gave him from everything a way [i.e., means].
18:85
فَأَتۡبَعَ سَبَبًا ٨٥
So he followed a way
18:86
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَغۡرِبَ ٱلشَّمۡسِ وَجَدَهَا تَغۡرُبُ فِي عَيۡنٍ حَمِئَةٖ وَوَجَدَ عِندَهَا قَوۡمٗاۖ قُلۡنَا يَٰذَا ٱلۡقَرۡنَيۡنِ إِمَّآ أَن تُعَذِّبَ وَإِمَّآ أَن تَتَّخِذَ فِيهِمۡ حُسۡنٗا ٨٦
Until, when he reached the setting of the sun [i.e., the west], he found it [as if] setting in a body of dark water,1 and he found near it a people. We [i.e., Allāh] said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, either you punish [them] or else adopt among them [a way of] goodness."
1 translator’s note
- Another meaning is "a body of hot water." ↩
18:87
قَالَ أَمَّا مَن ظَلَمَ فَسَوۡفَ نُعَذِّبُهُۥ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِۦ فَيُعَذِّبُهُۥ عَذَابٗا نُّكۡرٗا ٨٧
He said, "As for one who wrongs,1 we will punish him. Then he will be returned to his Lord, and He will punish him with a terrible punishment [i.e., Hellfire].
1 translator’s note
- Persists in disbelief and rebellion. ↩
18:88
وَأَمَّا مَنۡ ءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَٰلِحٗا فَلَهُۥ جَزَآءً ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰۖ وَسَنَقُولُ لَهُۥ مِنۡ أَمۡرِنَا يُسۡرٗا ٨٨
But as for one who believes and does righteousness, he will have a reward of the best [i.e., Paradise], and we [i.e., Dhul-Qarnayn] will speak to him from our command with ease."
18:89
ثُمَّ أَتۡبَعَ سَبَبًا ٨٩
Then he followed a way
18:90
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَطۡلِعَ ٱلشَّمۡسِ وَجَدَهَا تَطۡلُعُ عَلَىٰ قَوۡمٖ لَّمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُم مِّن دُونِهَا سِتۡرٗا ٩٠
Until, when he came to the rising of the sun [i.e., the east], he found it rising on a people for whom We had not made against it any shield.
18:91
كَذَٰلِكَۖ وَقَدۡ أَحَطۡنَا بِمَا لَدَيۡهِ خُبۡرٗا ٩١
Thus.1 And We had encompassed [all] that he had in knowledge.
1 translator’s note
- Such was the affair of Dhul-Qarnayn. ↩
18:92
ثُمَّ أَتۡبَعَ سَبَبًا ٩٢
Then he followed a way
18:93
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ بَيۡنَ ٱلسَّدَّيۡنِ وَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمَا قَوۡمٗا لَّا يَكَادُونَ يَفۡقَهُونَ قَوۡلٗا ٩٣
Until, when he reached [a pass] between two mountains, he found beside them a people who could hardly understand [his] speech.
18:94
قَالُواْ يَٰذَا ٱلۡقَرۡنَيۡنِ إِنَّ يَأۡجُوجَ وَمَأۡجُوجَ مُفۡسِدُونَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَهَلۡ نَجۡعَلُ لَكَ خَرۡجًا عَلَىٰٓ أَن تَجۡعَلَ بَيۡنَنَا وَبَيۡنَهُمۡ سَدّٗا ٩٤
They said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, indeed Gog and Magog1 are [great] corrupters in the land. So may we assign for you an expenditure that you might make between us and them a barrier?"
1 translator’s note
- Savage tribes who had ravaged large parts of central Asia, committing every kind of atrocity. ↩
18:95
قَالَ مَا مَكَّنِّي فِيهِ رَبِّي خَيۡرٞ فَأَعِينُونِي بِقُوَّةٍ أَجۡعَلۡ بَيۡنَكُمۡ وَبَيۡنَهُمۡ رَدۡمًا ٩٥
He said, "That in which my Lord has established me is better [than what you offer], but assist me with strength [i.e., manpower]; I will make between you and them a dam.
18:96
ءَاتُونِي زُبَرَ ٱلۡحَدِيدِۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا سَاوَىٰ بَيۡنَ ٱلصَّدَفَيۡنِ قَالَ ٱنفُخُواْۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَعَلَهُۥ نَارٗا قَالَ ءَاتُونِيٓ أُفۡرِغۡ عَلَيۡهِ قِطۡرٗا ٩٦
Bring me bars of iron" - until, when he had leveled [them] between the two mountain walls, he said, "Blow [with bellows]," until when he had made it [like] fire, he said, "Bring me, that I may pour over it molten copper."
18:97
فَمَا ٱسۡطَٰعُوٓاْ أَن يَظۡهَرُوهُ وَمَا ٱسۡتَطَٰعُواْ لَهُۥ نَقۡبٗا ٩٧
So they [i.e., Gog and Magog] were unable to pass over it, nor were they able [to effect] in it any penetration.